Sanitary berry-box.



'L. W. OBENCHAIN & D. B. DE LONG.

SANITARY BERRY BOX.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1915.

1,1 98,473. Patented Sept 19, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LLOYD W. OBEN CHAIN AND DURWARD B. DE LONG, 0F DENVER, COLORADO.

SANITARY BERRY-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LLOYD W. OBEN CHAIN and DURWARD B. DE LONG, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sanitary Berry-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in boxes or receptacles designed especially for the reception and dispensation of fruits, vegetables, etc., and particularly to a sanitary berry box made from a single piece of material and designed, after having been once used, to be discarded.

The object of the invention is to provide a box of the character stated which may be made from a single die-cut and scored blank of paraflined paper or like material, which is simple of construction and inexpensive to manufacture, and which, when formed from the folded blank, will be strong and durable and proof against collapse under all ordinary pressures and strains.

A further object of the invention is to provide a box having an elevated bottom formed by depending parallel flanges and means for connecting the flanges to form a base of great strength and stability.

The invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a berry box constructed in accordance with our invention; Figs. 2, 3 and 4; are vertical sections through the box taken on the planes indicated, respectively, by the lines 22, 3-3 and -l4 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank from which the box is made.

In carrying our invention into practice, we provide a box of rectangular or oblong rectangular form made from a single blank or piece of material, preferably of paraffined paper or other waterproof and inexpensive material. The box comprises a bottom portion A with the side portions of which are connected pairs of walls B, B and C, C, the walls B and B being arranged at two of the opposite sides of the box, and the walls C and C at the remaining sides of the box and at right angles to the first-named walls.

Each wall B and B comprises a body portion of substantially the same, width as the side of the bottom A with which it is connected. The said body portion of each wall B and B is indirectly connected with the adjacent side of the bottom A by a flange a, and the body portions of the walls C and C, which are also of substantially the same width as the sides of the blank to which they are attached, are likewise indirectly connected with the adjacent sides of the bottom A by flanges 7). The flanges a and b are adapted, in the production of the box from the blank, to be folded downward at right angles to the bottom along the weakened or scored lines a and I), while the respective sets of walls are bent upwardly atright angles to the bottom A but parallel with the flanges a and 6 along the weakened or scored lines a? and 6 so that in the completed box the bottom A will be elevated,

the box being supported by standing or resting upon the doubled downwardly-bent portions formed by the side walls and flanges, by which strength and durability will be secured, adapting the box properly to stand the weight of its contents. By thus supporting the-bottom of the box in an elevated position, such portion of the box will be prevented from crushing fruit below when crated. The walls B and B are provided along their outer side margins with flaps B adapted to be bent along their scored lines 6 The walls C and C are provided at their side margins with looking flaps C and C The said locking flaps are adapted to be bent along the score lines 0 and 0 and the flaps C are provided with slits 0 adapted to be engaged by reduced tongues 0 on locking tabs 0 formed by slitting the flaps C The flanges b are formed with keeper slots 0 to receive and engage locking tongues 0 arranged in pairs upon the flaps C and C.

The construction of the blank will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 5 without further description, and it will be evident that as in this blank all of the portions of the blank lie in the same plane a large number of these blanks may be stacked together in a flat package for convenience 1n storage and transportation, and that a box may be quickly and conveniently formed from each blank as occasion for its use requires.

In forming a box from the blank, it will be apparent that the flanges a and b are first bent downward along the score lines a and 7), and the walls B and B and C and C then bent along the score lines o and 7)", so as to stand upright, whereby th bottom A. will be elevated and a depending rim formed by the folded flanges and walls along the lines a? and b and the lower edges of the fla s of said walls to provide a firm foundation for the box to rest upon. After the walls are bent upward, the flaps C and (77" are bent inwardly in lapping relation along the score lines 0 and 0 the flaps C being arranged inside the flaps C and the sets o1 flaps C and C at the diametrically opposite sides of the box interlocked by engaging the tongues c with the slits 0 after which the flaps B are folded inwardly and downwardly over upon the inner sides of the connected flaps C and C and their free edges tucked into the spaces between the flanges a and walls B, whereby said flaps B are held from displacement and disposed so as to cover and conceal the flaps C and C and their locking connections, also to clamp them against the walls 13 and B so as to hold the locking connections of said flaps C and C against disconnection or displacement. Finally, the tongues c are passed through and interlocked with the slots 0 in the flanges 7), thus connecting said flanges positively with the walls C and C and thereby rigidly staying and bracing said flanges and walls and preventing the same from bulging outward under pressure of the contents of the box. It will be evident that the box when thus constructed will be provided with a strong and rigid base for its elevated bottom to rest upon, and at two of its sides will be provided with braced singl walls while at its other two sides it will be practically quadruple-walled, by the walls 13 or B and lapping flaps C and C Furthermore, the flaps C and C will be inclosed and held against displacement and at the same time covered, so that the inner surfaces of the walls of the box will be sub stantially smooth and devoid of crevices in which the contents of the box or foreign substances may lodge.

lVe claim as our invention:

1. A box comprising a rectangular bottom, opposing sets of side walls, flanges connecting the side walls with the bottom and bent along their junction lines so as to extend downwardly and form a rim on which the box may rest, one pair of side walls having sets of locking flaps adapted to be bent in overlapping relation on the inner side of the other side walls and provided with interlocking connections, interlocking connections between said side walls and adjacent flanges, and the other set of side walls having flaps adapted to be turned down inside the first name-d connected flaps and tucked at their free edges into the spaces between said walls and the co-acting rim flanges, the

flange and side wall interlock in the said flaps holding the box in set up condition.

2.. A box comprising a rectangular bottom, opposing sets of side walls, flanges connecting'the side walls with the bottom and bent along their junction lines so as to extend downwardly and form a rim on which the box may rest, one pair of side walls having sets of locking flaps adapted to be bent in overlapping relation on the inner side of the other side walls and provided with interlocking connections, one locking flap of each set having a slit therein and the other flap a tree portion provided with a reduced tongue to engage said slit, interlocking connections between said side walls and adjacent flanges, and the other set of side walls having flaps adapted to be turned down inside the first named connected flaps and tucked at their free edges into the spaces between said walls and the co-acting rim flanges.

3. A box comprising a rectangular bottom, opposing sets of side walls, flanges connecting the side walls with the bottom and bent along their junction lines so as to extend downwardly and form a rim on which the box may rest, one pair of side walls having sets or". locking flaps adapted to be bent in overlapping relation on the inner side of the other side walls and pro vided with interlocking connections, certain of said flanges and walls having an interlocking connection with each other to provide an interlocking connection for each side of the box when the same is set up, and the other set of side walls having flaps adapted to be turned down inside the first named connected flaps and tucked at their free edges into the spaces between said walls and the co-acting rim flanges.

4. A box comprising a rectangular bottom, opposing sets of side walls, flanges connecting the side walls with the bottom and bent along their junction lines so as to extend downwardly and form a rim on which the box may rest, one pair of side walls having sets of locking flaps adapted to be bent in overlapping relation on the inner side of the other side walls and provided with interlocking connections, and the other set of side walls having flaps adapted to be turned down inside the first named connected flaps and tucked at their free edges into the spaces between said walls and the co-acting rim flanges, the first named side walls having slots therein and the co-acting flanges being provided with tongues to engage said slots.

5. A box comprising a rectangular bottom, opposing sets of side walls, flanges connecting the side walls with the bottom and bent along their junction lines so as to extend downwardly and form a rim on which the box may rest, one pair of side walls having sets of locking flaps adapted to be bent in overlapping relation on the inner side of the other side walls and provided with interlocking connections, and the other set of side walls having flaps adapted to be turned down inside the first named connected flaps and tucked at their free edges into the spaces between said walls and the co-acting rim flanges, the first named side walls and the co-acting rim flanges being provided with interlocking connections, whereby, when the box is set up, each side includes an interlocking connection.

6. A box comprising a rectangular bottom, opposing sets of side walls, flanges connecting the side walls with the bottom and bent along their junction lines so as to extend downwardly and form a rim on which the box may rest, one pair of side walls having sets of locking flaps adapted to be bent in overlapping relation on the inner side of the other side walls and provided with interlocking connections, one locking flap of each set having a slit therein and the other flap a free portion provided with a reduced tongue to engage said slit, the first named side Walls having slots therein and the co-acting flanges being provided with tongues to engage said slots, and the other set of side walls having flaps adapted to be turned downinside the first named connected flaps and tucked at their free edges into the spaces between said walls and the co-acting rim flanges, the firstnamed side walls andv the coacting rim flanges being provided with interlocking connections.

7. A box comprising a rectangular bottom, opposing sets of side walls, flanges connecting the side walls with the bottom, cooperating locking flaps carried by one set of side walls, and interlocking connections between the flap carrying side walls and adjacent flanges, the other side walls adapted to fold inwardly to inclose the flap connection and having the terminal ends received between the bases thereof-and the adjacent flanges.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

LLOYD W. OBENCHAIN. DURWARD B. DE LONG. Witnesses:

RALPH PALMER, WILLIAM S. EADs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latentl, Washington, D. G. 

